The time in his tiny inn room was up and to preserve the little Jewels he had, Vinn decided to travel a bit more. He felt slightly guilty about putting off his training, since that was the sole reason he even travelled so far from home in the first place. But it never hurt wanting to know the country you were going to be staying in for upcoming, possibly, couple of years. With that mindset, Vinn ventured out into the wide world, once more. His bag of clothes and other neccessities along with his violing case and the family heirloom safe in his pocket were his companions on the lonely road.

He had no destination in mind. He passed a few tiny towns, but never stopped for too long. After a quite a bit of travel, however, the young man found himself standing in the port town of Hargeon. The smell of the sea, fish and sailors were quite overwhelming for Vinn's rather delicate nostrils, making him frown at the unpleasant aroma wafting through the air. Once more, he decided to stay for a night or two before he packed up his things and continued his journey. It wasn't hard to find an inn within the streets of the town, but it was surprisingly tough to find one which lobby didn't smell like Kraken's armpits. The smell was still there, but a lot more muted than some other establishments. "Two nights. Single bed." He would tell the man at the little counter, no question, rather a command. The man raised an eyebrow at him, but obliged. Soon enough, the young man set his things down in an inn room that was even smaller than the prious one and smelled just as bad. It was these little things that made Vinn think about the real reason why he travelled away from the comfort of his Crystal Palace.

The young man had to make his peace with the smell, however, as he was well aware that it would not simply go away. With a little sigh Vinn deemed it as a good time as any to calm down with a concerto or just a little fiddle on his violing, seeing as he was in a port town. He made his way outside of the inn he was staying in, looking about. The building was squished between some other ones, a street or two away from the main street that housed all the piers and sea trade and the like. A lonely pier sounded like a great place to take out his violin skills out at. For once, he had a sort of an idea as to what he was looking for. The young man in black attire weaved his way between the people and with little effort found the port itself. The shrieks of sea birds were loud, but Vinn was sure that his violin would make them shut up.

The afternoon sun casted its light upon the waters, making it shimmer. Vinn was walking along the endges of piers, trying to find one that wasn't occupied by ships, traders or already drunk sailors. Among them his eyes spotted a small pier that was free of any of the aforementioned factors and Vinn almost ran to it. The wood creaked beneath his feet as he walked to its farthest edge, which wasn't all too far from the docks. Though he did make sure not to stand too close to the edge, so as not to lose his violin or other precious items he had on his person. He set down the case he was holding onto and swung it open. Inside laid a beautifully hand-crafted violin body and bow. Vinn gingerly took them out and placed the violin against his shoulder bones. He tried a few notes, to see if the violin was properly tuned. Something didn't sound quite right to his ears, so he tuned it a little bit. Once he was satisfied with the sound, he decided that he could start with a short fiddle to fit the theme of the town he was in.

Wearing a green shirt with black skirt and bike shorts underneath, Victoria walked into Hargeon Town for the first time since helping to clean out the Hargeon Police Department. It was strange how peaceful everything felt since completing that job. In the past she had to look over her shoulder to make sure that Anlecotti thugs or dirty cops were not going to shoot her in the back or hit her over the head and abduct her. Now she felt little need to be so vigilant.

Hargeon Town felt like a normal seaside town. There were people fishing from the docks with fishing rods, fishing boats sailing out of the harbor to make their daily catch, fishing boats with full nets coming back into port, and private boats sailing the waters outside the town. Victoria could only look at the water for a short time because of what the dirty cops back at the station had said. There were victims of the Anlecottis whose bodies were still chained to anchors at the bottom of the harbor.

That was a deeply unsettling thought, so Victoria walked away from the docks and kept going until she found a newspaper vendor and bought a copy of the local newspaper for 100 Jewels. On the front of the paper was a disturbing headline. It read in bold print "FORMER HPD CHIEF FOUND DEAD OF GUNSHOT WOUNDS" and had a lengthy article positioned underneath it.

Victoria sat down on a bench and read the article. She learned that Chief Vernon had been shot in the head three times by a dirty cop a day after being taken into custody. The shooter immediately took his own life after committing the deed; the chief was pronounced dead on the scene, as was his killer. Victoria recalled Vernon's prediction that he would be dead within the week. He was right... he was in too deep to get out alive and he knew it.

She neatly folded the paper and held it in her hand while walking back towards the dock. The brunette was looking for a seafood restaurant because she wanted fried fish. Instead she found a silver-haired young man who was playing a violin. She did not know why the sound attracted her to him... it just did. The tune he was playing was fitting to the jaunty and sometimes rough nature of the harbor. Victoria felt compelled to speak to him.

Vinn's whole body got dragged into the tune he was playing on his violin, slightly moving into the rhythm. The tune itself was rather short, but his violin session was cut short, once again, as he heard a greeting from behind him. The young man would sigh. /"Reeled in another one, it seems."/ He chuckled to himself as he relaxed from his performing stance, but still held onto the musical instrument. /"I will never get to perform a whole concerto if they keep coming to me like flies."/ The young man would shake his head as he turned around on his heel, to face this new person. He knew beforehand that it would be a female, if he had to judge from the voice and he was indeed right. She was slightly shorter than him, wearing rather casual clothing. "Hello." The young man would reply with his own greeting.

The sea breeze was ruffling the bottom of his black coat, as he stood on the wooden pier. "I think that I am right to presume that you too, were captivated by the music, yes?" Vinn would sum up the situation he believed that had happened to this stranger who was standing in front of him. "Whatever your reason may be, I am Vinn. Pleased to meet you." He would add his introduction with a smirk on his lips. Perhaps a new ally could be made.

"Hi Vinn. I'm Victoria Sheridan." Victoria greeted him. His magical signature was kind of small, but she still treated him with respect for three reasons. First, she did not bully people because she had been bullied herself when on the streets and hated every moment of it. Second, Black Rose was always looking for new members and if word spread that they were bullies, their recruitment numbers would drop drastically. Third, antagonizing people for the fun of it was a very poor idea... later down the road they could turn out to be powerful enemies because the power of a grudge was not to be underestimated.

"You could say that your music brought me to you." Victoria admitted. Vinn's music reminded her of the musicians who played accompaniment for Lilium during her concert at Capital Crocus, only on a much smaller scale. His violin playing was also too good to be a random street musician... it sounded like the youth had professional training in the instrument. Maybe he had musically inclined relatives or could afford professional lessons. No matter how Vinn came by his talent, he made the instrument bend to his will and express that which woulds could not.

When the female stranger introduced herself as Victoria Sheridan, Vinn nodded his head out of politeness. The young man secretly hoped that she was a part of a Guild. It would help with establishing connections and allies that he could perhaps use in the coming years. It also reminded him that he shouldn't be slacking in his training as he had been as of late. If he kept it up, he would never achieve the victory that he is forced to. Victoria's words brought him out of his thoughts, though, saying it was the music. The young man would nod once more. Again, his initial thinking was correct.

Vinn would give a small chuckle. "People of this land seem so fond of music." He would say with a little smirk on his lips. Though this had happened only twice so far, it seemed that that idea was right, since he hadn't been in Fiore for too long quite yet. "So. Do you wish to just chat or do you have a request for me to play? I don't imagine you would talk to me just out of the goodness of your heart." The young man would ask Victoria in a firm voice. Maybe he was wrong, but back home talking to one another meant that one party present wanted to obtain something from the other. Whether it was material or immaterial, for present or future purposes. Vinn was quite positive that his disappearance back home didn't go unnoticed. The thought of all the rumours that must've been spreading through Astelron - no, probably whole Anivaia at this point already, amused him.

"Yeah, it's kinda funny now that you mentioned it. People around here really do like their music. It's like silence is painful for them." Victoria commented to the musician. In most taverns and restaurants some kind of piped-in music was almost always playing. Whether it was old music from decades ago or modern hits, music had to be playing at all times. Victoria did not care for that, but the rest of the customers did, so she had to grin and bear it whenever she went to eat out.

"I'm just here to chat, really. Your music caught my attention, I walked over, and here we are." Victoria admitted to Vinn. She did not have much else to do at the moment and he had caught her attention, so she was trying to get a conversation going. Maybe he would take the bait. Maybe he would tell her to get lost. It was up to him which way he steered the conversation... or terminated it.

/"Painful silence, huh.."/ The young man pondered as Victoria shared her thoughts. Vinn enjoyed having some silence, himself. He had to attend a lot of boring meetings with his House's court and other Houses themselves. Vinn never exactly cared about the topic that were discussed, so the silence he got to enjoy afterwards was very much welcome. But to each their own. Victoria also confirmed that she did approach him because of the music that he was playing. /"Maybe whenever I feel like socialising I should just whip out my violin."/ The young man thought to himself amusedly. Vinn was still confused by the mentality of the people living in Fiore, but he knew that he shouldn't be, since it wasn't like that other provinces in Phaeton shared the traits of his home province. Perhaps he was just too used to his own upbringing. The trip away from home may be more eye-opening than he had first anticipated.

Even though it was more of the afternoon part of the day, the temperature was getting too high for Vinn's liking. "Give me a moment." He would say firmly as he placed his violin with its bow back into their case. Vinn then unbuttoned his coat and took it off of his shoulders, revealing a grey shirt underneath it and letting his slightly ridiculously long tie flap freely in the sea breeze. The young man would carefully fold his coat and place it upon the case, hoping that it wouldn't fly off. After placing his coat he would take off his white gloves and toss them on top of it. "Well then." He would say as he adjusted his shirt and tie, to look presentable. "What do you wish to talk about? Or is there you wanted to ask me?" Vinn would look back at Victoria with his questions. He personally thought that he was probably better at answering questions, rather than asking them.

"What brings you to Hargeon Town?" Victoria asked him. Vinn looked like he would be much more at home in Capital Crocus or another high-class place. Then again, appearances could be deceiving. Few people thought that Victoria was a threat... until they learned the hard way. The brunette did not become an Ace of Black Rose by being just a pretty face.

"Me, I'm looking for a decent seafood restaurant. I heard Hargeon Town has quite a few of them to choose from. Do you know about any of them?" Victoria inquired. She wanted seafood for some odd reason. She wondered if The Feasting Bear served any... the owner had promised a free meal after saving him from dirty cops trying to tie up loose ends before their heads rolled. However, she was reluctant to call in the favor because the chance to get a free meal was not why she saved the man from a beating. Victoria saved him because Black Rose was dedicated to fighting for the common man when no one else would.

Victoria posed a question that sounded like a casually easy one, also readily providing an answer from her side with a little extra question. The thing was that Vinn didn't want to reveal his too much of a foreign status quite yet. While he didn't think that foreigners weren't unwelcome in Fiore, he wanted to keep his country under a veil. Phaeton was a country that kept to itself for the most part and outsiders were let in only under certain circumstances. If Vinn managed to secure a victory at the next Burning Fields and thus his place as the leader of House Cerulean, he would put an end to those downright stupid rules, at least for his home province of Anivaia. "My ever travelling feet brought me to Hargeon." Vinn would reply with a smirk on his face.

The young man would cross his arms on his chest as the sea breeze ruffled his hair and played with his tie. "Let's say that I am not quite from around these parts, so I am sad to say that I cannot help you with any recommendations." He would add to his answer. If he were back home, he could just say that he could invite Victoria to a feast of her life in the Crystal Palace, but alas, there he was, poor and still quite unknowledgeable about the land. "However, perhaps you could make a few recommendations for me." Vinn would turn around Victoria's question, seeing as his answer was little than helpful. "What interesting places are there to see? And I don't mean only this measly town, but the Fiore as a whole." Vinn would clarify his question further, to make it clearer as to what he was asking of Victoria. She seemed like somebody who knew their way around, so Vinn hoped that he would be pointed in a sensible direction.

"Fair enough, Vinn. My feet brought me here too." Victoria told him. So he was not from around this city. She could understand that. She was from Capital Crocus herself and knew little about other places except for Rose Garden and Hargeon Town. The brunette was learning more about Hargeon Town with each trip into the town.

"I'm not very familiar with Hargeon Town yet. This is my fourth trip to this place, so I'm still learning my way around. As far as interesting places in Earthland, I don't know what to tell you. It depends on your definition of interesting... if you could give me a basic idea of what you like, I may be able to help." Victoria informed Vinn. So he did not know where to find good seafood either. That was a drag, but Victoria could work around that problem. She knew of a restaurant that might be good.

"I know of a restaurant around here called The Feasting Bear. I don't know if it serves seafood, but I'm about to find out. Would you like to come with me?" Victoria asked Vinn.

Vinn was sort of surprised to hear that she wasn't familiar with any real hotspots. To him, Victoria seemed like somebody who would know a thing or two about where to go and which places to avoid. Perhaps he was mistaken. Ah well, it happened to the best, aswell. She asked for what Vinn considered interesting. An interesting question. He didn't know exactly what he would consider as interesting. "I don't know, just places that people visit a lot in this land." He would answer her question, after she invited him to join her to go to a restaurant of sorts. The young man pondered for a moment. He didn't have much money on him. A good portion of it went into his current accomodation.

Vinn hummed to himself. "I suppose I will join you. I don't have exactly anything better to do." Technically he had, but as it stood, while he was with somebody else, Vinn decided that he would forego his training in favour of building his web of connections. The young man would take his coat and gloves and close the violin case. He would stuff the gloves into his pockets and throw the coat over his shoulder. With his free hand he would pick up the case, ready to depart. "I have no idea where we are going. You lead the way." Vinn would say, in a slightly, unintentionally commanding way. Though, if he had to be honest, he could use some food.

"OK." Victoria said to him as she led the way to The Feasting Bear. She did not know if the free meal offer would cover a guest, but it really did not matter. She had more than enough Jewels to pay for their meals. Victoria retraced her steps and took Vinn through the town center, then took a detour until they were facing a familiar sign. The sign was familiar to Victoria, but not to Vinn.

The sign in question was a white sign with golden letters that read "THE FEASTING BEAR" and featured a brown bear holding a fork and knife in its front paws while sitting at a table loaded with fish, pork, and steak. Families were trickling into the place, so they had better hurry if they wanted a table. She hoped that Vinn would not be turned off by the location and the fare. If he was, then he was always welcome to make a better suggestion for next time.

"Well, here it is. The Feasting Bear. I haven't heard much about it, so I can't tell you what to expect other than a restaurant that serves alcohol. Sorry." Victoria said apologetically to her companion. Maybe she should have done some research on the place before dragging Vinn here. It would be all right. Provided that Vinn did not expect five-star fare and luxurious surroundings, everything should be all right.

"Well, if it isn't the traveling heroine who saved my life! Welcome to The Feasting Bear! Come on in!" The bald owner of the restaurant greeted Victoria with an enthusiastic hug. The brunette ignored the smell of sweat and grease that clung to his t-shirt. He showed genuine appreciation for what she did a week ago, and that was all she could really ask for.

With Vinn's confirmation, Victoria set off for this restaurant of hers. Vinn himself had no idea as to where exactly were they going, so he trusted Victoria's judgement on the matter. /"Hopefully I will not be regretting this decision of mine."/ The young man thought to himself as the duo weaved through the streets, until they reached their destination. It was marked by a white sign with golden letters. The Feasting Bear. /"What a name. Something a Viridian would come up with."/ Vinn scoffed to himself, taking note of the logo that accompanied the sign. Victoria then presented it, saying that she was not fully familiar with the place. The young man hummed to himself as the two of them entered, just as some people did before them.

The inside sure had that cozy and rustic feel to it. Just because Vinn wished to be independent didn't mean that he would ever put himself below his own rank in hierarchy. /"Is this where peasants spend their time at?"/ The young man looked around himself with a frown as Victoria was greeted by the proprietor. They seemed to know each other on some degree, if he had to judge from the way they met. Vinn wouldn't say anything, only raise an eyebrow at Victoria, expecting a table or actual service of sorts. He agreed to go to the restaurant with her, so he expected a bit more than just directions. The feel of the place was already not the most pleasant to his person, so he would prefer to get things sorted as soon as he could, instead of waiting for others to finish their greetings.

Victoria gathered that Vinn was not entirely thrilled with the choice of restaurant. She hoped that he could at least live with it. He was putting on a brave face, but she could tell that he was not pleased. The brunette was now committed to the choice of restaurant. She could not turn down the owner after he had already greeted her so enthusiastically.

"We were looking for a seafood restaurant. We were kinda hoping that you had some." Victoria said to the man. He looked almost insulted. Then he smiled widely.

"Don't worry, my dear. We've got plenty of seafood to choose from. Fish, crab, lobster, squid, even shark meat." He assured her before walking over to the door and opening it for them.

"Please, come on in!" He said to the pair. Victoria obliged and entered.

-Inside The Feasting Bear-

The restaurant was getting busy. Waiters and waitresses were carting plates of food to table and taking empty plates from tables. The owner guided them to a table that was close to the less densely populated back section of the restaurant and Victoria took a seat. A pair of menus were swiftly brought out to them.

According to the owner of the restaurant, this seemed like the place that Victoria was looking for, in terms of having seafood that she sought. Vinn was still very much unimpressed, but since they were in a port town, he reckoned that the seafood they would serve would be of high quality and freshness. The inside of the restaurant was as pack as Vinn would have expected and he didn't quite enjoy it. While he was used to dining at large tables with the rest of his family or banquets, Vinn still very much preferred to eat alone in his room, if he was permitted. /"The sooner I get used to eating like a peasant the sooner I can be more at ease, I suppose."/ The young man thought to himself bitterly as the duo was led to a table and given menu's to choose from.

Vinn would put down his violin case and hand his coat on the back of the chair that he then sat upon. He would discreetly check his coat's pockets for his family heirloom as he placed his right leg across his left. Thankfully the heirloom was still there and Vinn sighed a sigh of quiet relief. It was the only thing that was more valuable than his own life. Even if he was the heir of his Noble house, he was still very much replacable, if his parents deemed it neccessary. The young man would take the manu into his hands and skim through it. To him, it seemed like low-class food was the main focus, but at the same time, he had certain standards. So the food that would probably be the highest of quality it was for Vinn. "A seafood platter for me. I wish to see what you have to offer." He would say in his slightly commanding tone that he used back home all the time and set down his menu back onto the table in front of him. Vinn expected that Victoria would choose some seafood herself, since that was the idea behind her trip to this place.

"I'll have the seafood platter too." Victoria said to the owner. He nodded and took the menus before disappearing into the back. Having grown up on the streets of Capital Crocus, the brunette would eat almost anything. She even ate food that was thrown in the trash and paid the penalty, but eating spoiled food was preferable to dying of starvation.

"Do you eat a lot of seafood, Vinn??" Victoria asked Vinn. He was not exactly the friendliest individual, but that was fine. Victoria still kept some secrets of her own under her hat. Prime among them was the fact that she was an Ace of Black Rose.

"Me, this is the first time I've had it in a few months. I like seafood, but good seafood's hard to find. There's some in Capital Crocus prepared by world-class chefs, but you'd better bring your wallet because it's not cheap." Victoria informed the youth. She recalled a seafood place she wanted to try called Custow's Net that featured prominently in restaurant guides, but an average plate cost into the hundreds of Jewels because the fare was hand-selected and prepared by five-star chefs. It was one of the favorite haunts of Capital Crocus' old money, the noveau riche, and their assorted hangers-on.

Victoria ordered the same as Vinn and the owner took their menu's and left afterwards, presumably to work on their order. The woman then asked him if he ate a lot of seafood. Honestly, he couldn't tell. He had to eat whatever was cooked up for family dinners, but he didn't eat a whole lot. If he got hungry later during very late evenings, he usually sent for some leftovers from the kitchen. If there were any left. In other case, the servants had to improvise, as Vinn almost never specified his requests, unless he suddenly had a craving for something in particular. But he couldn't say that he ate a lot of seafood. More like fish and the like from rivers or lakes at best. Victoria also proceeded to give her own opinion on the matter, saying that good seafood is hard to find and quite expensive. Vinn could believe that. He never had to pay for anything personally, but if some commoners would have seen their possible receipts, they would probably faint. Noble families loved to splurge.

"I just ate whatever the cooks prepared for our meals. Though I never ate too much and ended up requesting leftovers from the kitchen, later." The young man would explain his opinion with a light shrug as he fixed his hair a little. "Money was never an issue for me, though." Vinn would add, with a rather expressionless look on his face. "Can't say that about other people, though." The young man would say as his face turned into a smirk. Noble status in Phaeton came with many perks but with many obstacles and issues, which were all dependent on the House one belonged to. Vinn would slightly loosen his ridiculously long tie, as the establishment was getting a bit too hot for his liking. That was one thing that he probably would never get used to and it was insanely frustrating.

Victoria wished that she had cooks to prepare food for her when she was younger. Anything they could have made would have been vastly preferable to eating out of garbage cans. Considering their surroundings, the brunette decided to keep that little fact a secret. Not everyone wanted to hear a tale of woe and poverty while trying to eat.

"So money was no issue, huh?" Victoria asked him. That was another experience the brunette would have liked to have had when she was younger. Just once she would have liked to find out what not having to worry about money felt like. She probably would have at least have bought some dried cereal or other nonperishable food for her, Burr, and the group. At least now that she was doing legitimate work she was making enough money that going hungry was a thing of the past.

"I'm being serious when I ask this question, so please be honest. What's it like to not have to worry about money?" Victoria asked Vinn. She was not trying to be funny or to shame him for growing up rich. She just wanted a straight answer to her question.

Judging from the rhetorical question that Victoria posed, Vinn assumed that she never experienced several luxuries that he had grown up on. /"Commoner."/ The young man thought to himself as Victoria asked him how it felt to not having to worry about money. Vinn hummed to himself, quietly. It was not easily described, but he would try his best. "You request something, they will bring it to you. You point at something, they will give it to you." Though a lot of Vinn's perks were linked to his lineage, not just having full family coffers.

"However, it does feel strange now that I do not have access to my endless wealth. I can only get things that I truly need to survive. No hobbies, nothing." The young man would explain his current situation. "Gods forbid should anything happen to my violin." Vinn would add as he glanced downwards onto his violin case placed on the floor. He was far too away from home to request repair and most likely too poor to pay for any repairs here. At least until he managed to gather more money and possibly have a static room to himself. It would surely feel nice to have a place that Vinn could always safely return to. "I wonder when the food will get here." The young man would mumble to himself. There was a solid number of people present in the establishment, so their meal may have been delayed. His stomach was strongly protesting against that, though.

Victoria could tell that Vinn's opinion of her had lessened because she had asked about what having a lot of money felt like. She did not care. She was used to people treating her with scorn and contempt because she did not have money. At least he had the decency to give her the answer she was after.

"OK. Thanks for the answer, Vinn. I get what you're saying, so it's good enough for me." Victoria informed him. So it was that easy. If he wanted something, he simply pointed at it and it was brought to him with no questions asked. The brunette was working to get to that point herself. It was not the noblest goal, but financial security was high on her list of priorities.

"No hobbies, huh? I know how that feels. Still, guild life isn't bad. You get a place to stay, three meals a day, and you have friends to help you out if you get in over your head." Victoria stated. Technically, bartending was the closest thing she had to a hobby. She had been so busy lately that she did not have much time to engage in any. Time was money and she liked money. In order to earn money the brunette had to keep working.

Shortly after Vinn's question the owner himself came out with two large seafood platters loaded with shrimp, fish, crab, and a couple of other popular seafood items. The food looked great. Vinn might think otherwise, but that was him.

"Sorry about the wait. Here are your seafood platters!" The owner said while carefully setting them down in front of the pair. Victoria was pleased. She hoped that the taste of the food was as good as its presentation.

"What beverages would you like?" The owner asked the pair. Victoria blushed. She had completely forgotten about ordering drinks!

When Victoria mentioned Guilds, Vinn frowned a little. He had heard about these gatherings of mages before. Likeminded mages banded together under one name and invited others to join them. Vinn was fine with his one allegiance to his Noble House. That was more than enough work for him to keep himself afloat. He didn't need any more hard ties and responsibilies in such a distant land. The owner showed up with their order. In front of Vinn, there was placed a rather large platter filled with various different kinds of seafood. It certainly looked very fresh and Vinn only hoped that it would be of exceptional quality aswell.

The owner also asked about their choice of beverages. The young man wasn't exactly in the mood for anything, but since he was getting offered a choice, he wouldn't deny it. "Whatever beverage would you recommend to go with the seafood." Vinn would say his choice, letting Victoria choose for herself, as he eyed the platter in front of him with interest. Who knew? It was possible that it could very well hold up to his chef's standards.

"What beverage goes with it?" Victoria asked. She was sure to be labeled a derogatory name for that remark, but she did not care. If it was just her, she would get a Strawberry Slam or Cherry Charge. If she was feeling adventurous, she would have gotten some Slatheron vodka. However, the brunette was not sure if seafood and vodka would go well together... probably not.

"I'd suggest something like pinot noir, but I'm not sure if you guys want alcohol with your seafood." The owner suggested. Victoria was grabbing at straws, so she would go with that. She had little to lose.